Dudley College to share in £100 million boost to train bricklayers of tomorrow
Dudley College is one of 10 colleges across the UK to share in a £100 million boost to train the construction workers of tomorrow.
The college, which has its main campus on The Broadway, Dudley, is one of 10 colleges across the country - and the only one in the West Midlands - to be designated as a 'Technical Excellence College' - or Tec.
The 10 colleges will provide training for 40,000 builders, bricklayers, electricians, carpenters and plumbers by 2029, says the Department for Education and Skills.
Each region of England will get a specialist colleges to train the workforce needed to 'turbocharge' government plans to build new homes, schools and hospitals, rather than relying on overseas workers.
The colleges will play a crucial role in the Government’s commitment to building 1.5 million homes before the next general election.
Not only did the Government inherit a severe shortage of housing, the UK also doesn’t have enough construction workers to start building more homes at the rate required, with figures from the Office for National Statistics showing around 35,000 job vacancies need to be plugged in the sector.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: "We need skilled workers to deliver the homes, schools and hospitals that communities across the country are crying out for, and today’s announcement underlines our commitment to the next generation of homegrown talent.
“Construction technical excellence colleges will enable us to invest in people and give them the skills they need to break down barriers to opportunity in an industry which is essential to delivering growth,” she added.
Miss Phillipson said the percentage of construction firms funding or offering training to their workers had fallen from 57 per cent in 2011 to 49 per cent in 2024.
This coincided with an increasing reliance on construction workers coming to the UK from abroad, perpetuating the issue of almost one million young people not being in education, employment or training.
In response, the industry-led Construction Skills Mission Board has pledged to recruit an additional 100,000 construction workers a year by the end of this parliament. This will build on the £625 million Government investment announced during the spring statement, which aimed to help provide more flexible apprenticeship options and get out-of-work young people back into the workforce.
Miss Phillipson said Britain could not and should not rely on foreign labour, which was why the specialist colleges were central to producing growth.
The news was welcomed by David Hughes, chief executive of the Association of Colleges.
"It represents significant investment and trust in the 10 successful colleges, and the college sector, recognising their crucial role in boosting the country’s construction sector by opening up high quality learning opportunities all over the country.," he said.
"We look forward to supporting the Tecs as leaders in the construction skills arena, partnering with employers, developing new courses and ensuring that innovation in construction techniques and approaches can be supported across all employers with skills training. We are also keen to help the Tecs build their networks with other colleges in their areas."
Tim Balcon, chief executive of the Construction Industry Training Board, added: “It’s wonderful to see the progress being made towards establishing these Technical Excellence Colleges for Construction. They represent a transformative opportunity for people to complete local vocational training, helping to drive regional growth and nurture the next generation of skilled construction workers in local communities.
The new Construction Technical Excellence Colleges are:
Derby College Group, East Midlands
West Suffolk College, East of England
New City College, Greater London
City of Sunderland College, North East
Wigan and Leigh College, North West
North Kent College, South East
Exeter College, South West
Bedford College, cross-regional
Dudley College of Technology, West Midlands
Leeds College of Building, Yorkshire and the Humber
